Sanibonani! This past week was our first full week of ministry— we went to two different care points to help with kids, evangelized in town, and learned lots of the swati language.
At the care points that we go to, we mostly play with the kids that are there (with ages ranging from 2 to 20) and some administrative work where we did some paperwork/organized files on the kids that go to the care point.
One of the main obstacles that I have faced with the children is that most of the younger ones do not speak English. For some reason, I wasn’t thinking about the language barrier and how that would affect how I am able to communicate with them. I have since given lots of high fives, fist bumps and smiles, and asked some of the older children how to say certain things in their language. It’s definitely a work in progress but I’m getting there 😉
Before we went to the care point, our group leader told us how she understands that it’s easier to talk to the preschoolers but to try and reach out to the older ones. On the first day at the care point, we only had preschoolers in the morning so I was able to get used to how things were run with a smaller group before the rest of the kids got there after school. When more kids arrived, there were two girls (ages 12 and 14) that I walked up to and started talking to- I asked them about school, their names, etc. They were both soft spoken at first, one way more than the other, and they had very short answers for all the questions that I asked them. We ended up doing a dancing circle where we all stood around clapping shouting “dance, (person’s name dancing) dance!” over and over until they chose somebody else to go in the middle. After that, they came over and told me that they would be right back after they got some food. They found me and Gina, another girl on the mission trip, after they finished eating and started talking to us again. The quieter girl grabbed my hand and whispered in my ear “I love you”. I can’t even begin to explain how cool that was. All these kids want is for you to intentionally spend time with them and to show them that you love and care about them. I talked to her and listened to what she had to say about her day and that was enough for her to see that I loved her just for who she is. The love these little kids hold is the sweetest thing. They just need somebody to be able to give it right back. Both girls took us around the building and we started singing songs together. After a little while, they asked me to get my phone and record them singing and I’m so glad I did. They have the sweetest little voices. There isn’t a list of all that we’ve accomplished since being here. I haven’t built a house or cleaned up a neighborhood, but what I have done is loved on kids that might not have gotten it elsewhere.
For our meals, we are given a set amount of money that we are allowed to spend on groceries and then we have set days where we are cooking dinner with two other people. Because of our budget, we have been given smaller portions than we are used to, making us hungry pretty much all the time. It has been easy to get upset about the situation but then I see what the kids at the care points are eating and become instantly humbled. They eat the same two things every single day— a pink porridge in the morning, and a fried rice in the afternoon, and they get excited to eat it every single time. I pray to have the joy that these kids have with every meal that I am given. I am being pushed further than I ever have been since being here. I have seen how little people actually need to be joyful and have become a whole lot more grateful for all that I have. What a comfort it is to know that I am right where God wants me to be, despite the challenges and doubts that I face.
I’m here in Eswatini for another 17 days and I pray that God gives lots of sweet moments and opportunities to spread His love and the word with those who are willing to listen.
